Elastic-fluid turbine.



G. WESTINGHOUSE.

ELASTIG FLUID TURBINE.

APPLIUATION PILBD'AUG. 9, 1901.

.930 908 v Patented Aug. 10, 1909.

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WITNESSES.- INVENTOR XS? AWE.

fG. WESTNGHOUSB.. ELASTIG FLUID TURBINE. l APPLIoATIoN FILED AUG. 9, 1907. y

4 Patented Aug. 10, 1909.`

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WJTA/Esgsus: INI/ENTOR.

UNITED strates nageur cerros.

GEORGE wEsT'INeHoUsE, or PITTSBURG, rENNsYLvANIA.

ELASTIG-FL'UID TURBINE.'

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 10, 1909.

lApplication led August 9, 1907. ISerial No. 387,825.

To all-'whom *it may concern.;

Be it known that I, GEORGEA WEsTING- HOUSE, .a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Pittsburg, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have madea new anduseful Invention in Blade- :Holding Means for Elastic-Fluid Turbines, of

which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to elastic Huid turbines y and more particularly to holding means for the stationary blades of such machines.

' :j It has been found under certain operating conditions, that the rotors and stators of elastiofiuid turbines distort and thereby destroy the small clearance necessary for elii- 'eient'operationtof the turbine. -These distortions may result from variations in temperature throughout the working 'passages of the turbine and an inequality of tem erature strains throughout the length ot the turbine. -Inherent strains may be' se-t u ,within the casing or stator by calking `the .blades in place which under the influence of lwarp or distort. junction with-a'tendency on the part of the the temperature will cause the stator to These distortionsin conrotor to rotate about the gravity axis instead of the geometric axis are apt to de-` stroy the smallclearances necessary for an eflieientI operation of the turbine and to damage and in some cases even completely wreck the turbine.

An object of this invention has been to overcome the troubles which arise from the necessarily small clearances and the above mentioned distortions of the rotors and -statorsof turbines.

-A further obj ect of this invention has been the production of a blade holding element for the stator blades oi the turbine which obviates the necessity of calking the blades in place -in the stator and thereby decreases i the tendency of the stator to distort.

I accomplish these objects by mounting the stationary blades in the turbine casing.

in such a manner that they are capable of l 'movingI radially to accommodate thema positions of the relatively rotating parts..

selves tovariations in the relative positions ol' the rotor and stator oll the turbine, and in also providing a clearance determining stri i forthe outer f1'fieee1i ls of the'rotating blades, which will ln'ove ith the stationary blades to accommodate itsell to the varying .In the drawings accompanying this applii A-A of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a partial side, elevation of a blade Vholding ring forming a'detail of my invention and Fig. 4 is a section along the lineB-B of Fig. 3.

The turbine illustrated as embodying my invention comprises a rotor 2, a stator or inclosing casing 3 therefor and alternate rows of moving and stationary blades 4 and 5, which are respectively mounted on the rotor and stator of the turbine. i The moving blades 4 are secured, in any suitable manner, in grooves or slots provided for that purpose in the'rotor. The stationary blades 5 are secured to arc shaped base pieces 8 which'are secured in place in T shaped channels or grooves 9 formed in the stator The base pieces 8 are rolled or drawn to the desired section and are preferably cut into semi-cir-v with a row of radially extending ioles 1 0, into which the stationary blades are mounted in any suitable manner. Each semi-circular base iece with axially extending circumferential flanges 11 which coperate with. the wider portion of the 'lr-shaped channels in securing thebase piece in place on the stator. A largercircumferential flange 13 is formed on theportion of each base piece which projects beyond the T-shaped channel and. it is adapted to extend `axially-of the turbine into close proximity andin. line with the free ends of an adjacent row of moving blades, lthereby forming a clearance-determining strip for the blades and a protective strip for the bladecarrying element. rlhe body portion of each base piece 8 is adapted to slidably iit the narrower portion of one of the T-shaped grooves 9 and the flanges l1 are so formed that they lit freely into the wider portion of the channel. rlhe depth of each channel is suliicient to permit transverse motion of a base piece in a plane perpendicular to the axis of the turbine rotor.

'llle flange 13Y is of such width that it exis provided at either sidel tends over the'A ends of an adjacent row of regular groove 14, in which a lat lspring 15 or plurality oi iiat springs are mounted. The spring l operates between the base piece and the inner Wall of the channel 9 to yieldingly force the base piece, and consequently Athe blades secured thereto, and the clearance stri 13, into an operating position relative to t e rotor and moving blades. The base piece is so constructed that when the lianges 1l are held by the spring 15 against the shoulders of the T shaped channel the stationary blades willproj ect into close proXim-' stator are disturbed and the elearaneesv which it is desired to maintain, are destroyed by the rotor contact-ing with the free ends ot the stationary blades or the stator coming in Contact with the free ends of the rotating blades, the base piece S will move radially outward under the influence oi the cont-aet- `ing torce and ilattening a number of the springs l5, prevent any serious results, the free ends of the stationary bladesy being yieldingly held in contact with the rotor and the clearance strip 13 being in yielding eontact with the outer and free ends of the rotating blades. By cutting the base pieces S into semi-circular segments or even into smaller segments a portion only ot' the stationary blades are disturbed by a displacement of the rotor or stator and. tho remaining stationary blades are held by their springs 15 to maintain as nearly as possible the desired Working clearances. .ln ordcr that the springs 15 may not be compelled to operate against the pressure of the. motive `fluid a scries of holes i6 are provided in the stator.

which connect the wider portion of the T shaped channel with the working passage ol the turbine. These holes admit motive fluid around the mounting piece 8 so that they are balanced with respect to the lluid pressure.

ln accordance with the provisions ol' the patent statutes, l, have described the principle of operation ol my invention, together with the apparatus which l. now consider to represent the best embodiment thereof", but l desire to have it understood that the apparatus shown. is only illustrativo and that the invention can be carried out by other moans.

What l claim is:

1. In' an elastic iiuid turbine, in combination with the rotor thereof carrying annular rows' of blades, blade carrying members yieldingly mounted in thcjst'ator and each provided with a portion which extends 'in line with one of said rotor rows.

2. ln an elastic iluid turbine, a rotor, an-` nular rows ofv blades carried thereby, and

blade carrying n'ieinbers yieldii'igly mounted in the stator and provided with clearance determining portions in line with said rotor rows,`

In an elastic iluid turbine, a rotor, annular rows of blades carried thereby, and blade carrying elements yieldingly mounted in the stator and each provided with a elearance determining flange lying in the path of: one of said rotor rows. 5

4. ln an elastic fluid turbine, a rotor, annular rows of' blades carried thereby, incom bination with a blade carrying member, mounted in the turbine stator and uovided with a 'flange which extends axial y oi the turbine into line with one of said rotor rows, and a plurality of springs for yieldingly holding said stationary blades in the normal operative position.

5. ln an elastic fluid turbine, a rotor, an.- nular rows of blades carried thereby, in com bination with a segmental blade carrying member mounted in a groove provided in the turbine stator, and provided with a fiange which extends axially of the turbine into line with one of the said rotor rows, 'and a plurality of springs yicldingly holding said stationary blades in the normal operative position.

(3. In combination with a turbine blade- -earrying element provided with a slot, a plurality ot' blades, a base strip to whiehsaid blades are secured, means for securing said strip in said slot, 'a longitudinally-extending Flange formed integrally with said strip and projecting out of said slot and means for eXn erting an outward pressure ol" said means.

7. ln combination with a turbine bladecarrying element provided. with a slot, a plurality of blades, a base strip to which said blades are secured, means for yioldingly soeuring said strip in said slot and a longitudinally extending llange formed integrally with said strip and projecting out of said slot.

S. ln Combination with a turbine-libidorarrying element provided with a slot, a base strip provided with a plurality of alined apertures, blades provided with base portions to fit ad apertures, means l'or seruring said blades into said apertures :ind a llangc formed .integrally with said strip and extending into eloso proximity, with the peripheral f'aeo ol said element. l

El. ln combination with a (urbin'e blade` Acarrying clement, blades, a segmental base strip for said blades provided with a oircuinferentially extending, laterally projecting prolortive flange for the blade-carrying element and yielding means inter iosed between the strip and l)lade-carrying e ement.

l0. ln combination with a turbine bladecarrying element, blades, a segmental base stri i for said blades, moans for seruring said blades thereto, a eirrninf'srentiall)Y extending and laterally project inf.,r prot ertiye flange lor said element formed on said strip and means for yieidingly securing said` strip to said element. Y v

11. In combination With a turbine, a

lblade-carrying element provided with a blade-mounting slot, blades, a" base strip for the blades provided Witli a cireumerentially extending and laterally projecting iange,

and means for yieldingly securing said base strip into -said slot wherebyv said flange prozjects from said slot into close proximity" with 'the peripheral face of said element,

protective strip bine having a' slot, a blade-securing means in said slot extending into a recess in said slot and an element protector extending-laterally from said blade-securing means.

'14. In a turbine, a blade-carrying element provided with a slot having a recess, a bladesecuring means in the slot and having a portion extending inthe recess and a protecter for said element. i

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this 6th day of August, 1907.

GEO. WESTINGHOUSE. 

